Chapter 169

Chapter 169
## Chapter 169

Lucian’s grin faded, replaced by a sharp, impatient click of his tongue.

Observing Tristan’s rigid posture, it was clear the man was prepared to walk out the door if Lucian didn’t stop beating around the bush. For a person with no allies and nowhere to run, he possessed a remarkably thin skin and a volatile temper.

“Is it truly your wish to settle this now? Given how much you’ve already deduced, I assumed you would prefer to wait until the massive disparity between our positions was more clearly defined.”

“No matter how many times you highlight that gap, if the price is something I cannot pay, it is better that I know the cost upfront.”

“If you are that determined.”

Lucian gave a nonchalant shrug and moved directly to his primary demand, satisfying Tristan’s request for bluntness.

“I intend to take control of the Grand Duchy of Valdek for a short duration.”

“…!”

“It will be for a fleeting window of time, naturally. I will return the seat to you shortly thereafter, Brother.”

Lucian tacked on the clarification a moment later, but the shock remained etched on Tristan’s face. He had braced himself for a steep price, yet he hadn’t anticipated that Lucian would set his sights on the mantle of the family patriarch.

“Do you truly believe I would simply step aside and hand over the lordship after hearing such a thing?”

“Listen closely. I have no genuine craving for the title of Grand Duke. Occupying that throne for a mere moment is all I require.”

“And exactly how many years do you define as a ‘moment’?”

“In a perfect world, I would hold the position for a month, but given the urgency of your situation, I am willing to cede it back to you after only a single week.”

“…!?”

Tristan gaped at Lucian, his expression one of pure bewilderment. To seize the title of Grand Duke for seven days only to immediately hand it over—it made Tristan question if there was any functional purpose to Lucian becoming the head at all.

“What is the logic behind this?”

“The rights of succession are a convoluted burden. they encapsulate every biological and legal privilege tied to one’s ancestry.”

“…?”

“Relinquishing my claim to the succession is synonymous with abandoning all my inherent birthrights; therefore, I cannot simply discard it. To protect my other interests, I must maintain my status in the line of succession—whether the actual throne interests me or not.”

The fog finally began to lift for Tristan. Lucian wasn’t hunting for the authority of House Valdek; he simply needed to preserve the specific rights tethered to the Valdek bloodline.

However, the second he formally acknowledged Tristan as the rightful lord, it would be legally equivalent to forfeiting his own claim, a loss he refused to accept.

“There are only two paths for me to keep my birthrights while installed as the master of Valdek. I either take the seat first and then transfer it to you, or I block your rise to power entirely.”

“…Since the second option is impossible if you are meant to be my patron, you’re claiming the first path is the only way forward.”

“Precisely.”

I have no interest in stealing the Grand Duchy permanently, so simply lend it to me for a heartbeat.

On the surface, it sounded like a point where they could meet in the middle. Yet, to Tristan, the request still felt like an enormous overstep.

“Your Highness, are you truly cognizant of the current state of the Grand Duchy?”

“I’ve been informed it is a shambles. Word is that Jordi has failed to exert any real dominance over the family, and with his patron, the Second Prince, staying silent, he is spiraling while trying to patch one leak after another.”

“It is as you describe. But I find no joy in watching that fool Jordi fail.”

Tristan’s grimace deepened. Every mistake Jordi made wasn’t just damaging his own reputation; it was rotting the foundation of House Valdek itself—the very inheritance Tristan planned to reclaim. If Jordi’s incompetence persisted, Tristan would be the one inheriting a hollow shell.

“That animal has dragged our family’s honor through the dirt. By my estimate, even if I take the reigns today, it would take three decades of labor to restore the house to its peak.”

“That sounds accurate. You will have to find and train an entire generation of talent to replace those who turned traitor or died in the coup, not to mention rebuilding the Black Lions from nothing.”

It wasn’t merely a matter of internal muscle. Once he returned, Tristan would have to project that power outward to force the world to acknowledge Valdek again. After such public instability, the neighboring lords would undoubtedly treat the Grand Duchy with contempt. It would take a monumental effort to force them back into submission and make them fear the name Valdek once more.

Tristan had suggested thirty years, but he feared he might spend his entire life without ever seeing the family reach its former heights.

“In this fragile state, if I let Your Highness take the seat first and then follow you, the world will see me as a weakling who could only obtain his birthright through begging.”

“Is your personal vanity more precious than the survival of your house?”

“Without that pride, I would spend my final days merely trying to keep the walls from collapsing before I die.”

Lucian let out a soft laugh at Tristan’s stubbornness. It was true; without that fierce ego, the reconstruction would take even longer. The public would credit every success to Lucian’s shadow rather than Tristan’s capability.

“Your point is valid. But Brother, do you truly have the margin to fret over such optics right now?”

“I could ask the same of you. Your Highness, do you have any alternative method of claiming the Grand Duchy of Valdek if you don’t use me as your proxy?”

“I do.”

“What?”

“I said I have another way.”

Tristan couldn’t mask his shock at Lucian’s confidence. The only reason Lucian was entertaining Tristan was surely because he lacked the military or political capital to take Valdek by force. Yet, he had replied without a shred of doubt.

“Let’s stop pretending this is a bluff. Why do you think I suggested we wait until after Sir Eisen’s rites were concluded?”

“….”

“It was so I could demonstrate to you that I possess the necessary strength.”

That is a lie.

The denial nearly burst from Tristan’s lips. How could a man march an army from the frozen North all the way to the Grand Duchy and win a war? Even if a miracle allowed him to take the territory, he would lose it instantly to the surrounding vultures.

Reading the skepticism on Tristan’s face, Lucian offered a knowing smile.

“You don’t believe me yet. Therefore, I want you to burn the image of what is about to happen into your memory.”

Once he witnessed the coming events, all uncertainty would die. At that prophetic statement, Tristan felt his throat go dry.

—

‘Damn it, what is happening out there?’

The First Prince, Claude, chewed on his nails, his irritation boiling over. Ever since Cedric’s departure, the behavior of those around him had shifted noticeably.

The guards, who usually stood as silent as statues, were now whispering in the corridors, and the cold-eyed servants were stealing glances at him. Even the ones who usually ignored his tantrums would now flinch with a hint of hesitation.

Something massive had shifted within the Imperial Palace while Claude remained a prisoner.

‘Is this a sign of hope? Or an omen? Surely they aren’t preparing for my execution?’

A skilled politician would have recognized these tremors as a favorable shift in the winds. But Claude was devoid of any political intuition and was unable to read the changing tide with any accuracy.

‘Is that coward Cedric really gone for good? I need to look him in the eye to figure out what’s going on.’

Just as Claude was pacing and pulling at his hair in a fit of anxiety, a series of shouts erupted.

—Rescue the First Prince!

—H-Hold them back! Stop— Argh!

—Move aside, you treacherous dogs!

—For the Empire’s true successor!

Claude’s eyes went wide. Had his loyalists finally arrived to liberate him?

The moment he stood up, heart pounding with hope, the wall of his prison was nearly leveled by a deafening explosion.

“Your Highness! Count Palatine Richard has arrived to save you! Are you hurt?”

“Y-Yes! I’m right here! Be quick and get these chains off me!”

“Hold on, Sire! We are breaking through!”

Crash! Thud!

The sound of heavy weapons battered the remaining door. Moments later, Richard and a group of knights smashed through the debris and fell to their knees before the Prince.

“Your Highness, I, Richard…!”

“Stop with the formalities and get these shackles off!”

Richard jumped at the Prince’s command and signaled his men. The knights fanned out, seizing servants and searching every corner for a key, but they came up empty-handed.

“There is no key to be found, Sire. They must have moved it to a different location.”

“Then use a blade and cut them!”

“I apologize, but these are forged from Adamantium. Our weapons cannot mar them. We will have to rip the anchors from the stone and carry the chains with us.”

What a collection of useless idiots!

Claude wanted to scream at their incompetence, but he bit back his rage as Richard spoke again.

“Please forgive us, Your Highness. We must flee before the traitor Cedric realizes what has happened. We will find a way to break the metal once we are safe, but for now, we must endure.”

“…Fine.”

Claude trembled, remembering the suffocating walls of his cell. He loathed the idea of dragging heavy iron behind him like a common thief, but he had no alternative. Escaping Cedric was the only thing that mattered.

With a heavy groan of masonry, the chains were finally wrenched from the walls. Since the wall anchors weren’t made of the same indestructible metal, they were able to move, even if Claude had to haul the weight.

Claude ground his teeth, humiliated by his bedraggled appearance.

“Cedric, that bastard… I will make him pay with his life once I am free!”

“Your anger is justified, but we must prioritize the escape.”

“Where are we going?”

“We cannot hide from the traitor’s reach within the capital. You must seek sanctuary with Duke Lucian in the North.”

“Lucian? Why that arrogant prick of all people?”

Richard suppressed a heavy sigh as he watched Claude’s face contort with disgust. Did the Prince not realize how few people were left who had the courage and the army to defy Cedric? Lucian was the only viable option, yet Claude was letting a petty grudge interfere.

“Your Highness, I regret to say we have no other choice. So many have defected to the traitor that only Duke Lucian has the power to stand against him.”

“Are there no true loyalists left in this kingdom?”

“Those with hearts of loyalty lack the swords to prove it, and those with swords lack the heart. Duke Lucian is the only one who possesses both.”

“…I suppose so. He did benefit greatly from my father’s favor.”

Claude gave a reluctant nod, though his face remained sour. Having finally convinced him, Richard moved with renewed urgency.

“We’ve paid off the traitor’s staff, so we have a head start, but the alarm will be raised soon. We have to go now.”

“No, we’re going to my personal chambers first. It’s close by; we can reach it before that traitor arrives.”

“Your Highness!”

“Be quiet and follow me! I have a teleportation artifact hidden in my room! If we secure it, we can reach the North in the blink of an eye!”

“…!”

The knights’ faces lit up at the news of this secret asset. If they could teleport, the dangerous journey through the city would be unnecessary. They could vanish from Cedric’s grasp instantly.

“Give me an answer. Can you clear a path to my room or not!?”

As Claude’s voice rose, Richard bowed low and drew his sword.

“We shall carve a path for you, Your Highness!”